Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Narvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,505 in Narvik, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Narvik
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Narvik Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Narvik

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Narvik

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in Narvik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,505 in Narvik, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Narvik $2,505

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $3,842 in Narvik, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Narvik $3,842

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $5,178 in Narvik, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Narvik $5,178

Cape Town is about 39% cheaper than Narvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Narvik sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Narvik by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$31.97 NOK 297

-62.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$95.4 NOK 886

-55.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$16.21 NOK 150

-62.06%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$4.96 NOK 46.05

-52.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.84

$2.99 NOK 27.70

-57.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$2.94 NOK 27.24

-68.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$11.54 NOK 107

-74.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$12.29 NOK 114

-69.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$2.48 NOK 23.00

-46.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$3.47 NOK 32.20

-65.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$2.75 NOK 25.54

-20.00%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$5.40 NOK 50.1

-42.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$12.28 NOK 114

-28.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$15.33 NOK 142

-55.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$23.63 NOK 219

-60.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$4.00 NOK 37.09

-54.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.19 NOK 20.34

-10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$4.81 NOK 44.68

-65.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$4.68 NOK 43.46

-54.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$2.67 NOK 24.78

-40.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$4.87 NOK 45.20

-69.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$3.03 NOK 28.11

-55.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$2.13 NOK 19.75

-46.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$16.49 NOK 153

-78.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$17.68 NOK 164

-65.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$3.65 NOK 33.92

-61.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$3.70 NOK 34.31

-41.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$4.68 NOK 43.43

-70.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$92.2 NOK 855

-34.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$6.50 NOK 60.3

-85.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.31 NOK 12.15

-31.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$54.4 NOK 505

-90.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$2.44 NOK 22.63

-36.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K R 579.4K

$40.4K NOK 374.8K

-12.43%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K R 546.7K

$38.2K NOK 354.8K

-12.71%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$117 R 1,918

$265 NOK 2,463

-55.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.71 R 421

$51.0 NOK 473

-49.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$86.1 NOK 799

-54.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$57.0 NOK 529

-9.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$27.07 NOK 251

-58.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$17.83 NOK 165

-50.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$308 R 5,040

$320 NOK 2,969

-3.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$3,137 NOK 29.1K

159.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$130 NOK 1,205

-55.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$35.77 NOK 332

-11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$145 NOK 1,350

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$166 NOK 1,540

-39.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$957 NOK 8,885

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$733 NOK 6,800

-8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$1,687 NOK 15.7K

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$1,265 NOK 11.7K

11.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$5,281 NOK 49.0K

-54.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$4,771 NOK 44.3K

-67.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$3,706 NOK 34.4K

-56.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

5.01

117.37%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Narvik: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Narvik

$733 29.2% 9.5% $64

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Narvik

$469 18.7% 110% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Narvik

$403 16.1% 121% $220

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Narvik

$470 18.8% 170% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Narvik

$215 8.6% 56% $77

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Narvik

$124 5% 72.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Narvik

$93 3.7% 33.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $957 in Narvik. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Narvik are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $95 in Narvik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $469 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇴 Narvik

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

22:45 10:45 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

14,183

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Narvik 11,380 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Narvik

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cape Town vs Narvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Narvik costs about 64% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $3,758 in Narvik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,047 in Cape Town and $957 in Narvik. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,505 in Narvik. That makes Cape Town about 39% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,505 in Narvik. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,505 in Narvik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Narvik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.